How to gain weight
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Hi Theresa,
I’ve been “away” from the website for a short time, but I’m back. I’m sorry to hear about your weight and treatment. I really hope you can “hold” that weight loss off a little more and that your “fatty” eating will begin to work a little more. When I was on chemo, I gained weight. Funny how this affects us so differently. I’m losing a little now only out of stress and not feeling like eating.
I know for a fact that fish oil really does help cholesterol as my mother started taking it recently and had tremendous results with it…in capsule form. So, if you do have a cholesterol problem too, just another benefit.
I hope things are going well for you otherwise, and please take care. I’ll being thinking of you and praying for you.
Talk soon.
Linda
Hi Theresa…..holding the weight steady is great news; adding a few pounds is a bonus. You are doing well. Please, stay in touch.
Best wishes,
MarionHi, Marions,
I tried the fish oil with my oatmeal and that didn’t work, so I bought the capsule which is much easier to take. But in order to use up the liquid form that I still have, I put it in orange juice every other day and that has helped.
As for my weight, I am just holding my own, but still haven’t gained any. I really appreciate all the good suggestions that have been given to me. I have added to my diet some dairy products. And, also, smoothies with ice cream. Before, my weight came from the desserts and carbohydrates that I ate. It seems like I am eating all the time, so I should start putting on more weight.
Best wishes,
TheresaTheresa…can you hide the oil in some way? Flaxseed oil tastes great in salad dressing and I pour it over popcorn and add nutritional yeast. I have to admit though that most people gag when tasting it. But, I love it. As mentioned by you, fish oil may be best taken in capsule form. Have you been holding steady with your weight? Or, dare I ask whether you have gained back a bit?
Best wishes,
MarionThanks, KentuckyJack,
I started taking fish oil with flaxseed oil last week because I needed the beneficial fats that I don’t seem to be getting. I have a hard time getting it down, but I make it. I thought that maybe the liquid would be better, but I may get the capsules next time. I will ask the doctor tomorrow about taking shark liver oil, along with the other one. If both are too much, I will experiment and see which one works better, Thanks, for passing this on to me,Hi Theresa-
I got a recommendation from the Life Extension Foundation cancer naturopath to take shark liver oil prior to radiation. He says it will increase my platelet count, but I’m not sure about the white blood cells. Apparently it is very good at getting the platelet count up, as he advised me to be sure NOT to take it if my platelet count got too high. You might google it. I think it may help with the WBCs.
Thanks, for your comments. When I was first diagnosed with the cancer, I read “Anti Cancer by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber who had had cancer, and he is the one who stressed that sugar feeds cancer. I have read it other places, but like you said, it’s hard to know what to believe. And, too, I went from November to May showing no growth and eating very little sugar and white bread, and no white potatoes. And in the back of my head, I wondered if it was partly due to my diet. But, too, it has started to grow, again, and my diet was the same, so it’s been hard to change my way of eating, to gain weight.
I appreciate all of the information that everyone has given me.
Does anyone know how to keep the white blood cells from being so low?
That is anything besides the neupogen shots?
TheresaI got the sugar speech too, when I was first diagnosed and was going to have a PET scan. Since the PET scan has to do with eliminating any carbohydrates, and after injecting a sugar-based substance, the cancer grabs onto it and shows up in the scan. My ONC at the time, said “cancer likes sugar”. The American Cancer Society however, does not agree with this idea (or it didn’t when I checked it a year ago), and my surgeon also said that he did not believe in that, saying it works in the test, but it’s not really a true notion of a cancer-sugar link.
It’s hard to know what to believe, but knowledge is power. The more you learn, the better you are able to make a reasonable judgement yourself based on a lot of information.
Linda Z.
Beware, there’s a lot of real nonsense (to put it politely) out there about nutrition for people with cancer.
A couple weeks ago I had a consultation with a very highly regarded “holistic” MD and his nutritionist because I’ve been losing so much weight. They gave me that “sugar is POISON!!!!!!!” speech, and told me to cut all fruit, dairy, and grains out of my diet. I asked them what (the bleep!) I was supposed to eat, and they said beans, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, and a little bit of organic meat. I can just imagine how much faster that would make the weight come off (and I noted that both of them were painfully thin– like, abnormally thin.) No thanks!
So, yes, you should consider advice from the experts, but also your own appetite and common sense!
Best wishes,
Kristin
Thanks, Sylvia,
That is what my doctors have, also, said, for me to eat everything. I have started to add some fat to my diet such as some ice cream and cottage cheese. I even had a hamburger yesterday. It’s surprising that with all the weight that I have lost, my energy level is still up. I know you are right that I will need the weight; it is going to be a long session with chemo this time. I only had 6 treatments the last time; one day a week for six weeks and this time it is going to be 16 treatments – one day a week for two weeks and then off one week which means if my white blood cells stay up, it will be over a twenty-four week period.
TheresaMy surgeon, Upper GI consultant, Dietician, and oncologist all told me that gaining the weight was more important than what I ate. They all told me to eat anything I could which would help me gain weight, which I did. I helped me no end when I had the adjuvant chemotherapy, as my body was able to fight off infections, and I kept my energy levels up.
My problem now is I am up to where I was before my resection, and would like to lose some weight!!!! xx
I would definitely suggest you eat healthily but allow yourself fats, sugar carbohydrates too, which I did. A balanced diet, mixture of all things, is the best, to ensure your body gets all its nutrients, and keep your energy levels up. All the best for you. Sylvia xxxx
Thank you, all, for your suggestions. It looks like I am going to have to add “fats” to what I eat. I have been trying to follow Dr. Andrew Weil’s and the book, “Anti-Cancer” suggestions on what to eat and not eat. I do take a protein powder drink that has 17 grams of protein, but I need more. Gavin and Dale, I checked out the web-sites and will try some of the suggestions.
It sounds like eating to put the weight on and keeping it on might be more important right now, than trying to starve the cancer.
Guess tomorrow, I will start eating the “good stuff”, again, and not feel guilty about enjoying the ice cream, chips, etc.
I knew that is I asked, this board would have the answer.Best wishes to each of you,
TheresaMy dietician after my surgery wanted me to add butter, oil and cream to everything. There is also a powder you can add to soups that increase calorie content. I think it should be at most nutrician stores since I think body builders use it. I also put on tons of weight when I went on steroids. I even gained over 20 lbs while on chemo!
Kris
Theresa……..I agree with the others. If it were me and in order to gain weight, I would increase the fat and protein intake significantly. If you want to avoid the sugar then eat pasta and vegetables with cream sauces; if you can handle it add extra butter and oil to your meals. In fact, I would become every dieter’s nightmare and would pile on the calories. How about bread slathered with butter or Tortilla Chips with beans and sour cream?
Best wishes,
Marion
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